
Iviv 

.V/3 





Book ^ilJl 



NEW ASPECTS 

OF 

THE UNIFORM TYPE FOLLY 



An Analysis of the 
Scheme to Destroy New York Point, American Braille, 
Roman Line and Moon Type, together with their Vast 
Accumulated Resources of every kind; Secure- the Adoption 
of British Braille; and Create a Type Trust under the 
Control of an International Committee Composed of only 
English- Speaking Members, with Headquarters in a Foreign 

Country. 



By William B. Wait. 



1916 



NEW ASPECTS 



OF 



THE UNIFORM TYPE FOLLY 



An Analysis of the 
Scheme to Destroy New York Point, American Braille, 
Roman Line and Moon Type, together with their Vast 
Accumulated Resources of every kind; Secure the Adoption 
of British Braille; and Create a Type Trust under the 
Control of an International Committee Composed of only 
English-Speaking Members, with Headquarters in a Foreign 

Country. 



By William B. Wait. 



1916 






(MH 



JUN 12 19(6 



THE BRADSTREET PRESS 
148 LAFAYETTE ST., N. Y. 



AN ANALYSIS 

OF THE SCHEME TO DESTROY NEW YORK POINT, AMERICAN 
BRAILLE, ROMAN LINE AND MOON TYPE, TOGETHER WITH 
THEIR VAST ACCUMULATED RESOURCES OF EVERY KIND; 
SECURE THE ADOPTION OF BRITISH BRAILLE; AND CREATE 
A TYPE TRUST UNDER THE CONTROL OF AN INTERNA- 
TIONAL COMMITTEE COMPOSED OF ONLY ENGLISH-SPEAKING 
MEMBERS, WITH HEADQUARTERS IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY 

By William B. Wait. 

For some ten years past this baseless, illusory subject has 
been kept before the minds of those who are interested in 
the publication of embossed books for reading by touch, and 
an organized, persistent effort has been made ostensibly to 
devise, adopt and impose upon the American public — and in- 
deed upon English-speaking people everywhere — a tangible 
type scheme to be labeled " Uniform Type." 

In England and in our own country the chase after this 
" Will o' the Wisp " has been pursued by special committees, 
but the references in this paper will be only to the work 
done here. 

The object of this paper is very briefly to consider what 
Uniform Type is; its impracticability; the economic worth - 
lessness of the "Standard Dot System" as shown by the 
publications of the "Uniform Type Committee" appointed 
by the Association of WORKERS for the Blind and by the 
publications of the Commission for the Blind ; the ethical 
elements involved in these publications ; the confessed failure 
of the " Standard Dot System " made by the " Commission " 
through its executive secretary, Mr. H. Randolph Latimer, 



4 
the architect of the S3^stem; and finally, the astounding 
action of this commission in negotiating with and inviting a 
committee from England to meet them at the Convention 
of the American Association of Instructors of the Blind at 
Halifax, in June, 191 6, with the avowed purpose of making 
a "substantial agreement" with the "British" that will 
"justify us of America" — and especially those few of us 
then convened as the American Association of Instructors 
of the Blind — i?i making this shameless, senseless surrender on 
British soil. 

A compelling incentive to this review is found in a circular 
letter issued by the Commission for the Blind under date of 
April 15, 19 1 6. 

This letter will not surprise those who are familiar with 
the purposes and intrigues of the group of manipulators who 
have controlled this movement, and who, at Berkeley, in 191 5, 
through the complacency or lack of fealty of members of the 
American Association of Instructors of the Blind, succeeded 
in subordinating this Association so that it, rather than the 
Association of WORKERS for the Blind, may be the chief 
instrument in the nominal surrender of "Standard Dot," the 
sacrifice of New York Point, American Braille and all other 
systems (resulting in the wanton destruction of vested rights 
worth a half million dollars), the imposition of British Braille 
upon American institutions, and its propagation through the 
control and use of the American Printing House for the Blind 
and of the United States Subsidy Fund by an " International 
Committee with authority to settle all matters of detail 
relative to the type question." 

Following is the letter: (In order to bring out the import of 
the letter and for convenience of reference I have used large 
type in some cases and have numbered paragraphs.) 



COMMISSION ON UNIFORM TYPE FOR THE BLIND 

REPRESENTING 

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF INSTRUCTORS 
OF THE BLIND 

AND 

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF WORKERS FOR 
THE BLIND 

April 15, 19 16. 

Superintendents of American Schools for the Blind and 

Others Concerned in the Question of Uniform Type. 

Gentlemen : 

1. The Commission respectfully calls your attention to its 
circular letters of September last, November and January, 
informing you of the progress made in the work committed to 
its charge. 

2. At its first regular meeting, September 2, 19 15, the Com- 
mission devoted itself principally to matters pertaining to the 
preparation of books and apparatus relating to Standard Dot, 
in order to give the profession of both this country and Great 
Britain ample opportunity to test out, thoroughly, the practi- 
cal merits of the Standard Dot System. The plans mapped 
out at this meeting were vigorously followed out during the 
fall and early winter. 

3. AMPLE MATERIAL, consisting of books and appa- 
ratus, was sent to Great Britain, and an active correspond- 
ence by mail and magazine articles kept up with our British 
coworkers relative to the merits of Standard Dot and the pos- 
sibility of its adoption as the uniform type. 

4. At the same time, the merits of the system were being 
TESTED OUT ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES, 
and during November and December the Secretary spent 
much time visiting schools and other centers, speaking in the 
interests of Standard Dot, and seeking to learn the consensus 



of opinion both as to the relative merits of the system and to 
the possibility of its adoption as the uniform type. 

5. His report to the Commission at its meeting of DECEM- 
BER 30, 19 1 5, together with the correspondence submitted 
from reliable persons of this country and Great Britain, led the 
Commission to pass the following resolutions: 

6. WHEREAS, the Standard Dot System has NOT MET 
WITH FAVOR on the part of our coworkers in Great Brit- 
ain, and whereas there seems to be LITTLE DISPOSITION 
IN AMERICA TO ADOPT IT INDEPENDENT OF 
GREAT BRITAIN. 

7. RESOLVED, THAT THIS COMMISSION REFRAIN 
FOR THE PRESENT FROM FURTHER ACTIVE 
EFFORT TOWARD THE ADOPTION OF STANDARD 
DOT AS THE UNIFORM TYPE. 

8. RESOLVED, That the Commission invite our cowork- 
ers in GREAT BRITAIN to appoint a committee of three which 
shall have authority to work with a like committee in America 
toward the improvement of British Braille with the view to the 
possibility of its adoption as the uniform type of the English- 
speaking world. 

9. Messrs. Burritt, Migel and Latimer were named as special 
sub-committee to look after this negotiation. Correspondence 
was at once begun, and as a consequence thereof the sub-com- 
mittee, at it's meeting of March 30, decided to forward to the 
proper authorities in Great Britain the accompanying sug- 
gested changes in BRITISH BRAILLE. 

10. The Committee, moreover, purposes to make these sug- 
gestions more or less the basis of its report to the Halifax Con- 
vention, and HOPES to have such substantial AGREEMENT 
WITH THE BRITISH by that time as to justify us of 
America in arriving at a satisfactory conclusion of the question. 

Respectfully yours, 

(Signed) H. R. LATIMER, 

Executive Secretary. 



7 

With this letter there was sent out a copy of another which 
was written only fifteen days prior to the foregoing letter and 
evidently as an introduction to it. 

Following is the letter, except those portions referring to 
the suggested changes in British Braille which have here been 
omitted : 

CHANGES IN "REVISED BRAILLE FOR READING 
AND WRITING." 

Grade 2 (including Grade 1), (Seventh Edition), July, 19 15. 

Suggested by the Commission on Uniform Type, through its 
Sub-committee, for the consideration of the British Uniform 
Type Committee, looking toward the possible adoption of 
British Braille as the Uniform Type for the blind of the 
Englisli-speaking World, March jo, ipi6. 

1. In its endeavor to secure one system of reading and 
writing for the blind, the UNIFORM TYPE COMMITTEE, 
of the American Association of WORKERS for the Blind, 
after years of study and experiment, was convinced that the 
three punctographic systems — New York Point, American 
Braille, British Braille— are so nearly equal, so far as their 
general fitness to fulfill the purposes for which they were de- 
signed is concerned, as to make it impossible to demonstrate 
the absolute superiority of any one over that of the other two. 

2. Convinced, further, that the chief defects in each system 
are of so fundamental a nature as to render their elimination 
impossible, without causing greater detriment to the system 
than their presence occasions, the Committee sought to solve 
the problem by devising a system which should embody as few 
as possible of the known punctographic defects ; while retain- 
ing intact all features which have successfully stood the test. 

3. THIS SYSTEM, KNOWN AS STANDARD DOT, 
DOES NOT SEEM, HOWEVER, TO POSSESS SUFFI- 
CIENT PRACTICAL ADVANTAGE OVER THE EX- 
ISTING TYPES — NEW YORK POINT, AMERICAN 
BRAILLE, BRITISH BRAILLE— TO COMMAND CON- 



FIDENCE ON THE PART OF THE PROFESSION, IN 
GREAT BRITAIN, EITHER IN THE POSSIBILITY 
OR THE WISDOM OF ITS ADOPTION AS THE UNI- 
FORM TYPE. Should this prove to be true, the American 
Committee feels that, if we are to secure the Uniform Type, 
the problem must be approached at an angle entirely different 
from that hitherto employed. 

4. Instead of striving, as heretofore, to secure for the blind 
that type which would enable them to do the most efficient 
and greatest amount of work in a given time, we must now 
seek the adoption of that one of the three systems — New York 
Point, American Braille, British Braille — upon which it may 
prove possible to bring the AUTHORITIES AMONG THE 
BLIND of the English-speaking world to agree. 

5. Approached from this angle, the problem is essentially a 
politico-economic one — political, in that it consists in an 
attempt to persuade the advocates of the different systems to 
abandon, for the sake of uniformity, that which they believe 
to be the best system ; economic, in that it seeks, by elimina- 
ting the necessity of duplicating texts in three systems to 
multiply the money available for embossing books ; while, on 
the other hand, IT INVOLVES A TREMENDOUS LOSS 
IN EMBOSSED BOOKS AND PLATES, AS WELL AS 
IN MACHINERY NECESSARILY RENDERED USE- 
LESS BY THE CHANGE. 

6. THIS SACRIFICE WOULD BE EVEN GREATER 
WERE STANDARD DOT TO DISPLACE ALL THREE 
OF THE SYvSTEMS; AND THE ADVANTAGES 
CLAIMED FOR THIS SYSTEM, EVEN BY ITS MOST 
ARDENT ADVOCATES, DO NOT ,SEEM, IN THE 
OPINION OF THE PROFESSION AT LARGE, TO 
COMPENSATE FOR THE LOSS WHICH ITS ADOP- 
TION WOULD THUS INVOLVE. 

7. If, as is proverbially affirmed, "possession is nine 
points of the law," the mind should turn at once to British 
Braille as a possible Uniform Type. 



9 

8. With the exception of the United States and portions of 
Canada, British, or European, Braille is, to all intents and 
purposes, the only system of reading and writing for the blind 
of the civilized world. 

9. When, however, we consider that it is more expensive to 
emboss books in this system than, in either New York Point or 
American Braille; that the American systems conform much 
more closely to the approved literary and letterpress practices 
than is the case with the British system as currently embossed, 
and that a knowledge of either of the American systems, due 
to the comparatively small number and unambiguous nature of 
the characters employed, is more easily acquired than is a 
knowledge of British Braille; we hesitate to make choice of 
British Braille as the Uniform Type, and earnestly wish that 
its strategic position were held by one of the American systems. 

10. Since, however, it is impossible to believe that such 
strategic advantage can ever be secured by either of the Amer- 
ican systems, and since it is equally IMPOSSIBLE OF 
BELIEF THAT THE COST OF EMBOSSING IN BRIT- 
ISH BRAILLE CAN EVER BECOME AS ECONOMIC 
AS IT IS IN EITHER OF THE AMERICAN SYSTEMS, 
it remains to consider: 

First. Whether the British can be induced, in the use of 
their system, so to conform to the practices of ordinary print 
as to make British Braille a correct instrument of education, 
and an adequate means of acquainting the blind with the 
authorized practices of the system used by their seeing friends. 

Second. Whether the number and ambiguous nature of the 
characters or signs used in British Braille can be sufficiently 
reduced as to make a knowledge of that system APPROXI- 
MATELY AS EASY TO ACQUIRE as is a knowledge of 
either of the American systems. 

11. To this end, suspending its efforts for the time being on 
behalf of Standard Dot, the Commission on Uniform Type, 
through its sub-committee, respectfully submits, for the con- 
sideration of the British Uniform Type Committee, the follow- 



ing suggestions, with the hope that British Braille may be so 
improved as to make its adoption as the Uniform Type not 
only possible, but also desirable. 

(Then follow the suggested changes, which are now omitted.) 

12. In conclusion, we respectfully submit: 

First. The foregoing suggestions are made with the view 
so to simplify and strengthen British Braille without impair- 
ing its structure, as. to lighten the BURDEN, NOW FAR 
TOO GREAT, imposed upon both teacher and pupil by the 
necessity of mastering a multitude of rules and exceptions. 

Second. That IN SO FAR as the text of British Braille 
can be made, without detriment to the system itself, to corre- 
spond strictly to that of ink-print, just so far will it become a 
correct instrument of instruction and an adequate substitute 
for ink -print. 

Third. That since the twenty contractions herein sup- 
pressed represent a TOTAL SAVING IN SPACE OF LESS 
THAN THREE-TENTHS OF ONE PER CENT., and 
since the characters standing for them are of such low speed 
and accuracy value, their suppression is of little moment to 
the habitual reader, while it moves a tremendous obstacle from 
the path of the learner. This fact should be of particular in- 
terest just now when so many men, blinded by the war, are 
struggling to acquire a knowledge of Braille. 

Fourth. That the characters herein suggested as substi- 
tutes for the contractions now used for to, into, by and were, 
possess a much higher speed and accuracy value than those 
now in use, and that the elimination of the lower-level forms 
greatly increases the speed and accuracy values of the corre- 
sponding upper-level forms, while the suppression of rules and 
exceptions relating to the use of these lower signs is a distinct 
stride toward simplicity. 

Fifth. That the American Committee on Uniform Type is 
disposed to believe that acquiescence on the part of the British 
Uniform Type Committee in the foregoing suggested changes 



in the British Braille, will lead to the adoption of that system 
as the Uniform Type of the English-speaking world. 

Sixth. That, in the event of an agreement upon a uniform 
type, the American Committee suggests the establishment 
of a suitable INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE WITH 
AUTHORITY TO SETTLE ALL MATTERS OF DETAIL 
RELATIVE TO THE TYPE QUESTION, and earnestly 
urges that the BRITISH COMMITTEE take steps looking 
toward the creation of such an international authority on 
matters relating to embossed types. 

Respectfully submitted March 30, 19 16, in response to the 
REQUEST OF THE BRITISH Uniform Type Committee, 
March 2, 1916. 

Sub-committee, 

O. H. BURRITT, Chairman. 

M. C. MIGEL 

H. R. LATIMER, Secretary. 

These presumptuous and mendacious letters furnish the 
topics for present consideration. 

In embossed printing the term type includes the primary 
structural elements of scale, size, shape and the like, the 
construction of the individual signs and their arrangement in 
groups and classes, a systematic combination of the signs 
adapted to various uses according to definite rules — the whole 
comprising what is called a type or system. 

The terms type and system are used synonymously, but one 
should always notice whether the term type is used in a 
restricted or in a general sense. 

Each system employs its own peculiar type, so that if 
readers of different systems are provided with the same book 
it must be printed in each of these types ; thus, the Bible is 
printed in no less than six different kinds of type. 



12 

Embossed printing is very expensive, and it has been 
assumed that if all books were published in one common type 
or system, great economy would be effected and the supply of 
embossed books greatly increased. 

Now uniform type must be that type and system in which 
all text-books, music, mathematics and general literature are 
to be printed. 

Ample evidence is at hand to prove that uniformity of type 
in ink-print exerts no influence whatever either to restrict the 
multiplication of the same book to a common type, or the pub- 
lication of different works on the same subject. 

In visual English, Latin letters are universally used, but 
notwithstanding this prevailing uniformity, books on almost 
every subject are printed in many different editions. 

In the more restricted field of schoolbooks the same prac- 
tice prevails, as is shown at the Congressional Library, where 
may be seen a surprising number of arithmetics, grammars 
and other text-books issued by many publishers. 

In the field of embossed books the same practice is notice- 
able in the multiplication of arithmetics, grammars and other 
text-books. 

These references will suffice to show that type uniformity is 
not a factor of the least value in the bookmaking world. 

In this case it is evident that type uniformity cannot be 
established except by some recognized authority qualified to 
settle all questions and capable of carrying its decisions into 
effect. 

Plainly enough, there is not and cannot be any such just 
authority, and the only recourse is an organization assuming 

TO POSSESS ALL NECESSARY KNOWLEDGE AND THE RIGHT TO 
IMPOSE ITS CREATIONS UPON ALL USERS OF EMBOSSED TYPE. 



13 
(See letter to British Committee of March 30, 19 16, Paragraph 
12, Item 6.) 

This is precisely what has been attempted, and it will be 
well to consider what some of the effects will be if successful. 

As economy is the great object of uniformity, it means that 
there would be no duplication of the outfits used in producing 
any of the appliances, types, writing-tablets, paper and metal- 
plate embossing machines and presses, all of which would 
be procured from one source. There would be but one book 
on grammar, arithmetic, geometry, algebra, geography, har- 
mony or any other subject, only one version of the Bible, and 
only one edition of any musical composition or of any 
literary work. 

All schools would be compelled to use the same text-book on 
arithmetic, grammar and other subjects, and books for general 
reading by the blind would be restricted to a single author or 
edition. Obviously, the selection of all books for publication, 
the place where and the persons by whom all appliances shall 
be furnished, and all other matters essential to the output of 
the finished product, would be determined and controlled by 
the central body. 

Let every one who reads this paper remember that if any 
"Uniform Type" is adopted and honestly accepted, these 
results will inevitably ensue. 

Such conditions would be intolerable and would render 
utterly useless any attempt to adopt a uniform type and 
system. 

By the letter of April 15, 19 16, it appears that this Commis- 
sion prepared and issued certain books ' ' in order to give the 
profession of both this country and Great Britain AMPLE 
OPPORTUNITY to test out, thoroughly, the practical merits 
of the Standard Dot System." 



J 4 

As the Commission has neglected to furnish any information 
as to contents, the reasons for their selection, or the relative 
economic value of Standard Dot, these very important matters 
will be noticed here. 

Up to this time the entire list is as follows: A Drill Key in 
Standard Dot illustrated by what is falsely marked, in visual 
type, as New York Point; a Drill Key in Standard Dot illus- 
trated by British Braille ; a Drill Key in Standard Dot illus- 
trated by American Braille; Baby Boy, by Horace Hazeltine 
(a sketch published in the National Magazine, November, 19 13, 
by the Chappie Publishing Co., Boston, Mass.); The Inmate 
of the Dungeon, by W. C. Morrow, copyright Lippincott, 1894 
(reprint Collier & Son, 19 15); The Devil and Tom Walker, by 
Washington Irving; Christmas Carol, Dickens (Standard Dot). 

Certain features common to all of these booklets should be 
specially noted. 

There do not appear in ink type the names and addresses of 
the publishers of the adopted text, or the names and addresses 
of the embossers and printers. 

This general omission of information for the visual reader 
strongly suggests a desire to evade responsibility. 

In this connection a sense of duty compels me to say that 
genuine true New York Point has not been used in any of 
these stories, but instead, a distorted and altered simulant of 
that system has been knowingly used with the intent to dis- 
parage and discredit New York Point and to give to Standard 
Dot an apparent value which it does not really possess. 

The scale or pitch of the simulant false New York Point 
used by the Committee is 16 per cent, larger than the proper 
normal pitch. 

The stories Baby Boy and Inmate of the Dungeon have been 
specially selected, evidently because of certain unusual advan- 



i5 
tages the style of composition gives to Standard Dot, and of 
certain disadvantages which are imposed upon New York Point 
either genuine or false. 

The structure is monosyllabic, which almost wholly prevents 
the wasteful and annoying rupture of words which unavoidably 
occurs in texts where polysyllables are used in Standard Dot. 

Of course compositions of this class are in no sense repre- 
sentative of the English language. 

Another marked peculiarity is the unusual number of proper 
names, of the pronoun I ; of such forms as "No ", I've, you've, 
I'm, and the use of short sentences. 

None of these features impose any added burden on Stand- 
ard Dot or British Braille, while they all require the use of 
the large fourth base signs of New York Point to a degree 
entirely unknown in general English literature. 

Ml of which involve the use of capitals and others of the 
largest signs in New York Point, very greatly in excess of the 
rimber found in English generally, while at the same time 
no such burden is imposed upon the Standard Dot copy. 

The result of these tricky practices is that New York Point 
has been deliberately misrepresented and disparaged, while, 
by comparison, Standard Dot is given a much higher value 
than it really possesses. 

In support of this statement I ask the attention of the 
reader to the following facts : 

The title page of Baby Boy, as issued by the Commission, 
informs us that this story was " embossed and printed for the 
Uniform Type Committee by The Howe Memorial Press, 
Perkins Institution and Massachusetts School for the Blind, 
Watertown, 19 15." The printing is done on one side of the 
leaves in a false simulant of New York Point, apparently the 
same as the false type used by the Committee in its discredit- 



I 6 

able and elusive test papers, against the use of which my 
protest in writing was filed with the Committee. 

The story was not published in full spelling in these two 
systems, so that no means was provided for a comparison . of 
the two systems on this fundamental basis. 

This story, as issued by the Commission, shows twenty-two 
contractions in their simulated New York Point, and sixty- 
seven contractions in the Standard Dot edition. A careful 
analysis of both gives the following surprising results: 

Paper used in Standard Dot with 67 contractions 1244.50 sq in. 

" " " simulated N. Y. P. with 22 contractions. .. . 1187.50 " " 

Excess 57 00 sq. in. 

or 4 75% 

This proves that notwithstanding all the disadvantages 
imposed on New York Point by an exaggerated scale, the 
selection of a style of composition unfavorable to New York 
Point, waste of space at the end of lines and the use of forty- 
five more contractions in the Standard Dot than in New York 
Point, still the Standard Dot is beaten. 

Now let us see how Standard Dot compares with honest 
New York Point. 

Paper used in Standard Dot with 67 contractions 1244 50 sq. in. 

" true N. Y. P. with full spelling 1132.50 " " 

Excess in Standard Dot 112.00 sq. in. 

or 9.75% 

Paper used in Standard Dot with 67 contractions 1244.50 sq. in. 

" " true N. Y. P. with 22 contractions 1012.50 '* " 

Excess in Standard Dot 232.00 sq. in. 

or 22.00% 

Paper used in Standard Dot with 67 contractions 1244.50 sq. in. 

"true N. Y. P. two-side print with 62 con- 
tractions 605.00 " " 

Excess in Standard Dot 639.50 sq. in. 

or 105.50% 



i7 

A brief examination of the story, The Inmate of the 
Dungeon, will still further illustrate the great inferiority of 
Standard Dot and the meretricious character of its advocacy. 

On the cover the wording is in New York Point, but with 
no true capitals nor a capital sign. On the title page the 
wording is in New York Point, with the grossly incorrect 
capital sign. 

It is stated that this story is "in UNCONTRACTED 
xstandard xdot " ; in other words, with full spelling, indicating 
that this is the largest possible form of Standard Dot. 

To the general reader the term uncontracted refers to the 
use of short forms to condense the text and to facilitate read- 
ing; but while verbal contractions have not been used, another 
method of condensing has been resorted to by using a scale or 
pitch about 12 per cent, less than that of Standard Dot as 
shown in Baby Boy, and in all the official Standard Dot 
Drill Keys. 

It should be noted that no announcement of this fact is given 
in this booklet, and as it has been sent out by the Commission, 
it will naturally be regarded as the official or true Standard 
Dot; and if it be compared with the false New York Point 
used in Baby Boy and in the Drill Keys, the gain to Stand- 
ard Dot by reduction of scale will be 12 per cent, plus 16 
per cent, lost to New York Point by the wrongful expansion 
of its scale — a total unfair advantage of 28 per cent, for 
Standard Dot. 

This publication shows the following divergencies from the 
visual text: There is no running headline; paragraphs have 
been omitted fifty-nine times; there are twenty-two other 
omissions and superfluous signs and twelve misspelled words. 

This story in Standard Dot compared with the story in true 
New York Point with full spelling, running headline, all 



i8 

paragraphs, real capitals and conformity in all respects to the 
visual text gives the following result : 

If all of these particulars had been observed in the Standard 
Dot edition, together with its official authorized scale, it would 
require in one-side printing 50 per cent, more paper than New 
York Point. 

It is noticeable that this booklet does not state either where, 
when or by whom it was published. 

The unethical quality of this movement, which came into 
view in Baby Boy and Inmate of the Dungeon, will be further 
shown in the Drill Keys, and attention is called to the adver- 
tisement on their covers and title pages. The respective 
wording on the covers in ink-print is, New York Point Stand- 
ard Dot Drill Key; American Braille Standard Dot Drill 
Key; British Braille Standard Dot Drill Key; having Roman 
capitals and lower-case letters in ink type impressed by a 
rubber stamp. 

It should be noted that these words have not been embossed 
on the covers. 

The impression unconsciously left by this ink-print lettering 
is that each system uses capitals in the proper way, which, in 
fact, is not the case, inasmuch as New York Point is the only 
Point System in which the proper use of .capitals, as in visual 
practice, is possible. 

If, however, the words had been embossed on the covers an 
observant person would have seen that New York Point uses 
true capitals, which all of the other systems fail to do, and this 
apparently furnished the motive for not giving the titles in 
both ink and embossed type. 

Turning now to the title pages of the three Drill Keys, it 
will be seen that no ink types have been used, the embossed 
text of each being as follows : 



19 

the standard dot drill key 

authorized by the 

commission on uniform type 

prepared by 

h. randolph latimer, ph. b. 

head teacher 

maryland school for the blind 

overlea, maryland 

embossed at the 

Pennsylvania institution for 

the instruction of the blind 

Philadelphia 

Let the reader keep in mind that American Braille and 
Standard Dot use the same capital sign; the British Braille 
uses a different capital sign, while genuine New York Point 
uses real capitals. 

In preparing the title pages the capital sign has been 
omitted from the British Braille and no capitals have been 
used in New York Point, while in the American Braille Drill 
Key capitals have been indicated forty-five times. 

In British Braille the first word begins with small t, thus 
"the"; in American Braille the first five words are indicated 
as capitalized throughout "THE STANDARD DOT DRILL 
KEY"; while in New York Point the first word "The" is 
replaced by an uncapitalized word sign # * * in violation of 
correct usage and of the long-standing rules of New York Point. 

Then in the very important matter of contraction, seventy- 
one are given in the Standard Dot Drill Key, while only 
twenty-nine, or forty-six less than the actual number seventy- 
five, are given for New York Point. 



20 

This is not a fair representation of the facts and implies 
that in the matter of contraction New York Point is greatly 
inferior to Standard Dot, which is not the case. 

Another notable feature of the New York Point Standard 
Dot Drill Key is the omission of any reference to music and 
mathematics — an omission which saves Standard Dot from a 
hopeless and discreditable comparison with New York Point. 

One of the most reprehensible features of this so-called New 
York Point Drill Key is the substitution of an expanded pitch, 
or scale, in place of the true scale. 

This same discreditable act was practiced by the Uniform 
Type Committee, who clandestinely introduced it into their 
test sheets, and against which I filed a written protest with 
the Committee as soon as I had observed the deception, 
directly after the opening of the test at the New York City 
School, and the nature, method and effects of this cheat were 
fully set out in my paper of June, 19 15, analyzing the doings 
of the Uniform Type Committee. 

And now, in the face of these misleading features of the 
Drill Keys and booklets, it is boldly announced that the Drill 
Keys were prepared by a member of the Commission (also a 
member of the Association of Instructors) ; that the work was 
"authorized by the Commission for the. Blind" (four out of 
five of whose members are members of the Association of 
Instructors), and that the embossing of these unfair and mis- 
leading Drill Keys was done at the Pennsylvania Institution, 
Overbrook, under the ' direction of another member of the 
Commission, who is also a member of the Association of 
Instructors. 

Let us now turn to a wholly untechnical but highly impor- 
tant and interesting matter in connection with the composition, 
methods and plans of this Commission for the Blind: 



21 

Nominally, it is composed of two committees of three -mem- 
bers each — one committee from the Association of Instructors, 
the other from the Association of Workers. 

If properly constituted the Commission would consist of six 
different persons, whereas the six places are filled by five persons. 

The Instructors Committee consists of two principals and 
one teacher, while the Workers Committee consists of one 
principal, one teacher and one lay member. Thus, the In- 
structors Association furnishes all the members of its commit- 
tee and two members of the Workers Committee, one of whom 
is in each of these two committees. 

It should be specially noted that by this plan of interlocking, 
which is a favorite instrument for collusion and duplicity, a 
majority of these constituent committees, as well as a majority 
of the Commission which they form, are members of the 
Instructors Association, thus giving to that organization the 
control of the action of each. But let it be remembered 

THAT WITH CONTROL ALSO COMES RESPONSIBILITY. 

Let it also be noticed that the circumstances of this entire 
movement show that the shifting of control and responsi- 
bility from the Workers Association and the Uniform Type 
Committee to the Association of Instructors and a Commission 
controlled by its members, was the consummation of the 
original plan delayed in execution much longer than had been 
hoped. 

At its Jacksonville meeting, June, 1913, certain resolutions 
were adopted, the first of which declared : 

That the Association adopt, for itself officially and indi- 
vidually, and take all measures practicable to secure 
the adoption by publishing houses, educational institu- 
tions, libraries, etc., for the blind, in this country and 
abroad, of: 



22 

(a) The British Braille alphabet and the American Braille 
capital prefix, with such modifications, if any, as shall 
be in accordance with the findings of your committee, 
and that the development of the complete system be 
in harmony with the principles of three-level, variable- 
base and frequency of recurrence, the system to be 
known as the Standard Dot System. 

Do the members of the American Association of Instructors 
of the Blind realize that through their members on this Com- 
mission they are now carrying out the plans and purposes of 
the Association of Workers as declared in the resolution above 
quoted ? Do they realize that the formation of this Commission 
and the subordination of the Instructors Association in the 
interest of this movement are chief among the "measures 
practicable " to accomplish the purposes set forth in these 
resolutions ? 

The remarkably expeditious operations of this interlocking 
Commission are astounding. Its first meeting was held SEP- 
TEMBER 2, 19 1 5, the first work being the preparation of books 
and apparatus in order to give the profession of both this 
country and Great Britain "AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO 
TEST OUT THOROUGHLY the practical merits of the 
Standard Dot System." 

Now, a test means an examination and comparison ; a critical 
trial and proof of qualities; in this case requiring a working 
knowledge of all four of these systems. For this arduous task 
the Commission prepared apparatus, three Drill Keys and the 
following embossed booklets: 

. Baby Boy, 

The Inmate of the Dungeon, 
The Devil and Tom Walker, 
Dickens' Christmas Carol. 



23 

The price of one set of these books, a New York Point Tablet 
and a Braille Writing Tablet would be at least $5.00. One 
hundred pupils would make 10 classes of 10 pupils each, and 
ten of these sets, costing $50.00, would give each pupil a half 
hour lesson each day. 

The Commission does not inform us how many individuals 
or schools were provided with this outfit, but say that "the 
merits of the system were being tested out all over the 
United States," with such results that by DECEMBER 30 
the Commission was led to adopt the following: 

"RESOLVED, That this Commission refrain for the 
present from further active effort toward the adop- 
tion of Standard Dot as the uniform type. 

"RESOLVED, That the Commission invite our coworkers 
in Great Britain to appoint a committee of three which 
shall have authority to work with a like committee in 
America toward the improvement of British Braille with 
the view to the possibility of its adoption as the uniform 
type of the English-speaking world." 

It should be pointed out that a long and expensive testing 
operation was performed by the Uniform Type Committee, of 
which Mr. Latimer was an active member, and that Standard 
Dot was adopted "officially and individually" as the one and 
only type to be used, and therefore this Commission has no 
option or authority in this matter ; it has but one duty, and that 
is to establish Standard Dot. 

Moreover, no time limit was set within which the Commis- 
sion should complete this work, and therefore it had no right 
to suspend its efforts or seek to promote any other system. 

Obviously, it would be preposterous for these gentlemen to 
plead ignorance on these matters, and it therefore follows that 
there must have been some strong preexisting motive, some 



2 4 

immediate purpose that impelled them to take such precipitate 
action. 

The circulars recently issued by the Commission, and which 
have been previously given in full, furnish a key to> the 
situation. 

The main purpose is to take advantage of this meeting on 
British soil for the destruction of New York Point and of 
American Braille (each of which is much superior to either 
British Braille or its equivalent, Standard Dot), and to adopt 
the British- Braille- Standard Dot as the uniform type of the 
British Empire and the United States. 

Then there is the appalling purpose of destroying the 
invaluable treasures of literature, music and apparatus which 
have been created during the past fifty years at the cost of 
infinite study and labor and at an expenditure of more than 
$500,000. This diabolical project is admitted by the Commis- 
sion when it says: " It involves a tremendous loss in embossed 
books and plates, as well as in machinery necessarily rendered 
useless by the change." 

To reproduce this property at the prices now ruling would 
cost at least $1,000,000, and to reproduce it in either British 
Braille or Standard Dot would cost double that amount. 

It will be well here to remind the Principals of the Schools 
throughout the United States that each school has a vested 
interest in this property which it is under obligation to pro- 
tect. Furthermore, the State of Kentucky, the Government 
of the United States, and the people who pay the taxes that 
have provided these invaluable treasures, also have a vested 
interest in this, property. 

Destruction of property interests of this kind can be effected 
indirectly and at very little cost — neglect and disuse often 
being the only agents required. 



25 

On the other hand, the replacement of the disused and 
wasted property will cost a large amount of money. 

It is very remarkable that while the Commission deliberately 
recognizes the irreparable loss of property and vested rights 
which the audacious and shameful action they propose would 
cause, they fail to present any plans for replacing them. 
This reticence does not indicate that the matter has been over- 
looked, for three members of this Commission as principals 
are trustees of the American Printing House for the Blind, 
and are fully aware of its resources and management. 

The Commission also knows that a very close relation has 
always existed between the Association of Instructors and the 
Printing House, that the Secretary and Superintendent has 
also been Principal of the Kentucky School for the Blind 
and for many years, Secretary of the Instructors Association, 
and that any opinion as to policy expressed by the Instructors 
has generally been accepted by the Local Board of the Print- 
ing House, and this is the reason why four members of 
the Commission are from the Instructors Association 
while only one is exclusively from the Workers Association. 

The principal events that may be expected at Halifax are 
the adoption of British-Braille-Standard Dot as the uniform 
type of the British Empire (including the United states.) ; the treach- 
erous sacrifice of New York Point and of American Braille, 
and the neglect, waste and destruction of the unequaled and 
invaluable resources existing in these and all other systems. 

The next step in order, probably, will be taken at the annual 
meeting of the Printing House for the Blind on July 3, when 
a Secretary and Superintendent — both of which offices have 
heretofore been held by one person — are to be elected. 

The local Printing House Board consists of only seven 
members, and in view of the deference with which the 



26 

opinions of the principals, as ex-officio members, has always 
been regarded, it is possible that if three or four British 
Braillists attend this meeting, they might be able to elect an 
ardent British Braillist as Secretary and Superintendent, .and 
in this way the control of the great resources of the American 
Printing House would be turned to the service of British 
Braille, and under direction of a foreign committee in a 
foreign country, if. the presumptuous and senseless plans of 
the Commission are carried out. 

In view of these facts, and of the official and personal obli- 
gations imposed upon the members of the Workers Associa- 
tion, it seems that the Commission must have had some theory 
to justify themselves in their premeditated action. 

Up to the time of the Berkeley meeting, where the Instruc- 
tors Association was trapped, it had taken no part in the 
Uniform Type movement. Was it assumed that the resolu- 
tions and instructions of the Workers Association are not 
binding upon members of the Instructors Association ? Was 
that the reason why two out of the three members from the 
Workers Committee are instructors ? 

On that assumption an entirely new situation has been 
created. The Commission, which on the surface appears to 
have an equal number of members from each of the Asso- 
ciations, has been packed with members from the Instructors 
Association, one of whom is its President and a member of the 
Executive Committee, thus shifting the whole responsibility 
to the Instructors Association. 

This theory will explain the automatic action of the Com- 
mission, but it involves false premises, perverted ethics, wrong 
conclusions and cannot be accepted. 

In view of the facts and with due regard to truth, justice, 
the welfare of the blind and the public, it would now appear 



2 7 

to be proper for the Association to table any report presented 
by this Commission; discharge the Committee; rescind the 
action appointing it ; disavow the acts of the Commission ; ex- 
clude the Uniform Type question from all further considera- 
tion; condemn the practice of interlocking and affiliation 
between members of different Associations ; reject the pro- 
posal to substitute the bigness of the British Empire as in any 
sense a reason for the adoption of a system, either within or 
without that Empire, and disavow the project to establish a 
punctographic monopoly and type trust under the control 
of a committee either international or local. 

The inevitable end of "politico-economic" stratagems is 
nation-wide stultification, mental inertia in our schools and 
among the blind, and incalculable, irreparable ruin ! 



